1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to location and data services on a portable wireless device, and more particularly to accurately enforcing geo-fencing policy for a portable wireless device in a communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Personal electronic devices such as smart phones are becoming ubiquitous, providing a constant source of entertainment, communication, navigation, and personal assistance. Some of these functions depend upon determining the location of the portable wireless device. Outside location services, such as those that involve receiving signals from Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellites, can provide or assist with determining such location and motion information, although with an increase in power consumption. Certain multimode portable wireless devices can access small coverage area devices or systems, such as WiFi devices and cellular femtocells, when indoors and can access wireless wide area networks (WWAN), such as cellular radio access networks (RAN), when outdoors. Configuring the portable wireless device for efficient power consumption, data service, and location service functionality can thus depend on accurately determining where the device is in respect to a geographic location.
These and other considerations have given rise to defining a geo-fence to determine how a mobile device operates, depending upon a determined location. A geo-fence is a virtual perimeter for a real-world geographic area. A geo-fence could be dynamically generated, as in a radius around a store or point location. Or a geo-fence can be a predefined set of boundaries, like school attendance zones or neighborhood boundaries. When a location-aware portable wireless device of a location-based service (LBS) user enters or exits a geo-fence, the device receives a notification. This notification might contain information about the location of the device.
While geo-fencing can provide specific advantages for users of mobile devices, often the mobile device is unable to accurately determine whether its location is within or outside of the geo-fence. GNSS services may be unavailable or consume too much battery power for use. Wireless or cellular services can provide approximate location data that can inaccurately indicate being inside or outside of the geo-fence. In addition, the boundaries of a geo-fence may be inaccurately defined in association to the intended activities for inside and outside of the geo-fence.